Ludwig von Drake
Ludwig von Drake is an anthropomorphic duck. Description Ludwig von Drake is Donald Duck's Austrian uncle, and he is the scholar of the family. Credited with at least 98 dilplomas, Von Drake claims to be an expert on everything. However, though his vast knowledge is undeniable, he is also unbelievably wacky; whenever he tries to explain anything (which he often does, unfortunately, being fond of lecturing), he digresses about varyingly crazy subjects until even himself has forgotten what the lecture was supposed to be about to begin with. Ludwig is also vain, naive and very absent-minded. Biography Born to a a temperamental mother (sources disagree on his exact relation to the Duck family, with some naming Humperdink Duck his father), Ludwig spent his childhood with her in Vienna, Austria. After various brilliant studies that earned him the aforementioned 98 diplomas, young Professor Von Drake moved to the United States, where he claims to have been responsible, in the following years, for the inventions of several types of popular music, starting with Charleston (he claims the first Charleston, Charleston Charlie, was a rip-off of his earlier Louisville Ludwig). He also lost much of his fortune during the Great Depression, though he allegedly did pull through thanks to a new composition of his.Ludwig von Drake gives all this information in A Symposium on Popular Songs. In 1961, he was invited by Walt Disney to give a lecture about color on television,The lecture is shown in the animated made-for-TV film An Adventure in Color, Ludwig's first appearance. and for that purpose moved to Duckburg; initially housed by his nephew Donald, Ludwig eventually settled in Duckburg for good, buying a luxurious villa to accommodate him and his personal library. At some point after 1961,He still described himself as a bachelor in 1961's Kids is Kids. he also married Scrooge McDuck's sister Matilda McDuck. By the late 2000's at least, and throughout 2010's, Ludwig von Drake, still living in Duckburg, taught unspecified subjects at Coot UniversityWiener Schnitzel Woes. and also worked at the Hall of Science, where he had set up a laboratory where (occasionally joined by Gyro Gearloose) he would create new and marvelous, but often dangerous, machines. He occasionally oversaw and hosted exhibits in the Hall specifically showcasing his latest creations.Down the Hatch, Split Decision, Outta Time. Neither of these jobs were so time-consuming, however, that Ludwig couldn't carry on being his eccentric self and occasionally setting out on wacky endeavors such as his own submarine expedition into the unexplored depths of the ocean.Wonders of the Deep Known Diplomas *"Degree in Names and Nicknames"The Beagle Boys and the Last Pirate. *"Degree in Labyrinthine Orientationology" Behind the scenes Ludwig von Drake debuted in 1961. Ludwig used not to appear in Egmont stories, as the publishers enforced a policy that he (like Fethry) was "legally dead" as far as they are concerned — in other words, non-canonical. Don Rosa was a long-time opponent of this policy, and managed to sneak cameos by Ludwig in two of his stories for Egmont. The ban had never applied to Italy, French and Brazil, allowing Ludwig's legacy to survive even beyond his regular appearances in animation, and sometime in the 2000 it was lifted even in Egmont. Ludwig's exact relation to the Duck family has long been a point of contention; early statements suggest that he really was Donald Duck's uncle (or "sort of uncle"), while others imply that he is a cousin of Elvira Duck or even an in-law of hers. There are even some fans to dispute the fact, introduced by Don Rosa, that he became the husband of Matilda McDuck (although that idea is only a failsafe to explain how he might be related to Donald, and does not contradict any of the other theories). Voice Actors *Paul Frees (Classical voice from 1961 to 1986) *Walker Edmiston (Ludwig's Think Tank) *Albert Ash (Down and Out with Donald Duck) *Corey Burton (Classical voice since 1987) Notes and References el:Λούντβιχ Φον Ντρέηκ it:Pico de Paperis sv:Ludwig von Anka fr:Ludwig von Drake Category:Characters Category:Main Characters Category:Duck family Category:McDuck Clan Category:Von Drake family Category:Teachers Category:Males Category:Scientists Category:Inventors Category:Geniuses Category:Musicians Category:Composers Category:Austrian characters Category:American characters Category:Duckburgers Category:Ducks